Trump and congressional leaders set third meeting over shutdown

President Trump is slated to meet with congressional leadership at the White House on Wednesday to continue discussions on reopening the government, GOP sources told The Hill on Tuesday.

The meeting will take place one day after a national address Trump is giving Tuesday night making his case for border wall funding.

Lawmakers are expected to gather with administration officials in the Situation Room as parties remain at an impasse over funding for Trump’s desired border wall, two leadership aides confirmed. Democratic sources have not confirmed attendance, but top Republicans said Democratic leaders have agreed to attend the meeting.

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Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s (D-Md.) offices did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.

“Another meeting has been scheduled for tomorrow at 3 pm in the Situation Room. Sen. Durbin plans to attend,” a source told The Hill.

Prior to that, the White House said Trump and Vice President Pence would huddle with the Senate GOP at their policy lunch on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

Recent talks have proven mostly unfruitful, with both sides digging in to their respective positions. Democrats have asserted they will not support Trump’s $5.7 billion request for a barrier along the southern border, which has led to the shutdown and stalemate between negotiators.

The Democrat-controlled House passed a continuing resolution last week that would fund the Department of Homeland Security through Feb. 8 and that did not include additional wall funding, as well as a legislative package aimed at funding the remaining government agencies through the end of the fiscal year. The legislation is not expected to be taken up in the upper chamber, as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said he won’t bring any funding bills that the president won’t sign to the floor. The White House threatened to veto the legislation.

As the government heads into day 19 of the partial shutdown, optimism that negotiators will reach a deal in the near future continues to wane.

“I think they think they’re [Democratic leaders] winning this battle and can hold out longer than the President,” one administration official said.

Pence, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and acting Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought also attended a special House GOP conference meeting Tuesday, where they were expected to encourage GOP lawmakers against joining Democrats in voting for the individual spending bills slated to be taken up on the floor later this week.

Trump — who is scheduled to travel to the U.S.-Mexican border on Thursday — is expected to discuss his stance on border security during a prime-time televised address Tuesday evening, where some speculate he may declare a national emergency in order to obtain funding for the wall without congressional approval.

–Updated at 5:55 p.m.